God’s Precious Thoughts
Gordon Crook – Pastor, Grace Assembly, Wichita, Kansas
I began thinking on this as I meditated on the reason for Jesus coming to earth as a babe. At the end of the year, we celebrate Christmas, the world as a time of giving and receiving gifts and parties, and we as a time to remember and celebrate the true reason. Jesus came to the world for a particular reason that God had in mind since before the world began.
We know this because God tells us in the Bible (His love letter to all mankind) that He purposed this before the foundation of the world. “Who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” 1 Peter 1:20. This leads me to consider the idea that God would think about us enough to set up the death of His own Son before He even created us.
In the Old Testament, David writes it this way; “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” Psalms 139:17-18. As David contemplates his own existence, and the fact that God was His creator, he comes to consider God’s “precious thoughts” toward him.
“Precious” reminds us that these are valuable thoughts. The value of God’s thought concerning us cannot be estimated, as our Salvation was not purchased by silver or gold, but, much more valuable than that, the blood of Jesus.
David also writes this; “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Psalms 8:3-4. It is truly hard to understand why God would consider us when we realize just how insignificant we are. And thus, we can only be amazed, as David was, that God has thought about us at all.
A lot of thought went into creating the universe and humanity. Not just the act of creating, but sustaining and perpetuating that creation – all in perfect harmony – the universe with its stars and planets, humanity, animals, plants, and minerals, all in perfect harmony. Creation was not an experiment, nor some sort of evolution. It was precise, exact, no error. God got it right the first time. Some have been under the mistaken idea that God was surprised in the garden with the rebellion of man (His creation), but He was not, and yet He still went ahead with it so He could demonstrate His love for us.
While all of this seems so hard to comprehend, we must realize that God does not think like we do. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9. We certainly would not consider giving our only child to offer something to people who might not accept it. However, God had a particular end in sight when He planned this.
David was impressed with both the quantity and quality of God’s thoughts toward him (precious; how great is the sum of them). “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Psalms 40:5. I recommend reading 2 Samuel 7. Especially notice David’s response to God’s promise in verse 18.
God is not just thinking about us, He is thinking about us for our good. His plan was not just salvation, it goes far beyond that to future glorification. God’s plan has always been to provide a bride for His Son that would reign with Him for eternity. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Revelation 19:7-8.
In Proverbs 8, we find a passage that is clearly speaking about our Lord as noted in verses 27 and 30. In verse 31 we read this; “Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.” He was rejoicing in creation, but His object of delight was mankind.
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2. Jesus was thinking about us when He went to the cross. I can’t explain how this could be, but I believe it with all my heart because God’s Word says it was thus.
The 17th chapter of John, especially the 20th verse, helps us realize just how much Jesus was thinking of us as He was on this earth. His particular desire for us is expressed marvelously in the 24th verse; “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” And, because His great desire is that we be where He is, He has prepared for us. “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” John 14:1-3. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Perhaps as we move into the new year, we should take time to consider God’s thoughts towards us, and also consider our response to Him. Do we think about our Lord? How often? He deserves our thoughts daily. He deserves our thoughts daily.
